Factors Affecting Urban Consumers’ Choices for Locally Produced Tomato Juice: A Case of Tokyo and Osaka Prefectures in Japan

Efforts to create local specialties such as processed foods have recently been made in hilly and mountainous areas. However, to increase the income obtained from these foods, it is important to adapt them to the tastes of urban residents. Against this background, this study investigates the factors affecting the selection of locally produced tomato juice and the differences in local product selection among urban residents in Osaka and Tokyo. By applying factor analysis, logit models, and conjoint analysis, we obtain the following findings. First, as for consumer preference for tomato juice, product quality factor, location-origin factor, functionality factor, and food safety factor were extracted. Second, the drinking frequency of local tomato juice was affected by individual and household attributes such as gender, age, cohabiting household members, knowledge of food and agriculture, and use for cooking. Third, product attributes like local, salt-free, and organic certifications significantly affect consumer’s utility functions. However, they are not valued as much as national brands, and compared to prefectures, products from smaller municipalities are less highly regarded. These findings imply that differences in the urban market should be considered and that municipalities and local producers need a more specific strategy.